Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging control apparatus, a method for generating a display image, and a storage medium.
Description of the Related Art
In recent years, network cameras are used in a wide variety of applications such as monitoring and video conferencing. Some network cameras used in such applications are capable of providing pan, tilt and zoom (hereinafter, referred to as “PTZ” as appropriate) adjustments. Such network cameras may have a preset tour function of capturing images while moving the camera sequentially or randomly to preset positions which are pre-registered angles of views. According to conventional technology, in the preset tour, a path between preset positions is determined so as to be the shortest or quickest path.
Meanwhile, there is a desire among users to want to know the details (the moving path, the capturing range while the camera is moved, and the like) of image capturing during touring such as monitoring a passageway within the capturing range or monitoring a predetermined range by constant touring.
To meet this demand, the following two patent documents disclose techniques for assisting in a tour setting by presenting, to the user, the details of image capturing during a preset tour.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-303179 discloses that a rectangle indicating a capturing range at a preset position, a pivoting direction and the number of times of pivoting during a tour are displayed on a panoramic image obtained by capturing an entire range that can be captured by the imaging apparatus. As a result of displaying the details of image capturing as described above, the user can check the details of image capturing (the pivoting direction and the number of times of pivoting) to be performed by the tour setting.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0180878 discloses that the capturing ranges of the imaging device at the current and target positions are displayed on a panoramic image obtained by capturing an entire range that can be captured by the imaging apparatus. As a result of displaying the details of image capturing as described above, the user can check the details of image capturing (the capturing range while the camera is moved) to be performed by the tour setting.
However, with the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-303179, the user cannot check the moving path during a preset tour and the capturing range while the camera is moved.
Likewise, with the technique disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0180878, it is necessary to actually move the angle of view of the imaging apparatus in order to allow the user to check the capturing range.
Accordingly, it has been difficult for the user to check whether the capturing ranges assumed by the user are covered with respect to the entire range that can be captured by the imaging apparatus when a preset tour is set. This consequently creates a mismatch between the moving path and the capturing range of the imaging apparatus and those assumed by the user, causing a possibility that the user does not notice a tour setting error or omission. In addition, in the case where the user checks the capturing range by actually moving the angle of view of the imaging apparatus, much time is required to perform the check.